Chapter Fourteen

Seven years ago

It had been weeks since she started going for their rehearsals and after a while, she began to feel that sense of belonging. It was good enough for her that she had found herself a place she could call home.

Upon entering the hall, she seemed to have interrupted a couple’s business. Two people caressing each other at one corner of the porch. The lady didn’t care but the guy couldn’t help but feel a brush of guilt across his face when he hit his eyes on her. Whether it was out of guilt or wonder, she couldn’t tell but that wasn’t going to stop him. He had a record- a player and a criminal. He was once sent to juvie accused of rape. His case was never tried and he was behind bars for three years. He got out and stumbled on this troupe. His manly physique got him a place among the actors and which lady wouldn’t fight for a scene with him? The tattoos marked on his arms and chest, just made him all the more desirable to have. After all, ladies these days prefer dangerous guys. It’s not like he cared about that.

“I’m … sorry” Keisha blocked her face from trying to see any more of what they were doing and scurried away from them.

“Going home, already?” she bumped into Dwayne at the entrance of the porch.

“No, not yet. I just thought to, I mean I wanted to use the bathroom.” She smiled suspiciously.

“Okay… you’re acting weird”

“Me? No…”

“Alright, I’ll head in first” Dwayne continued towards the stairs.

“No, wait…” She wasn’t going to let those two folks get caught “humphanded”.

“Director asked for you. I saw him enter his office from the rear” she continued.

“Ugh… I could use a break from all these script arrangements” he sighed.

“Plenty of break after death”, she teased, dragging him away from the place.

“Twisted as always” he tramped outside the porch. She leaned a little backward and hoped to see that the two people would get the hint to leave and save themselves some embarrassment. Thus, if they cared. She was proud of herself to have saved them and got to the hall. 

“Good riddance” she huffed, dropping herself on one of the cushioned seats and slapping her duffel bag in another.

A moment later, the real reason why she came was in her face. Her mind was filled with it and that nippy feeling washed over her countenance.

“Is everything alright at home?” He asked. She smiled at him and looked away, taking in a deep breath. He didn’t press any further and just attended to the other cast members who were trying their costumes for the rehearsal. 

She didn’t want to set up another pity party for herself in a public space like that. Years had passed and her mother already warned her to forget about that cock-and-bull story of her and her cousin but how much can she do to forget about it when she saw his face in front of her everyday?

She rose and ambled over to the top of the hall. It was much more private there compared to the lower floor. Taking a while to admire the interior architecture of the place from the top view, she found herself an obscure space to perch and to be by herself, uninterrupted in her thoughts.

“Are you stalking me?” someone disrupted her. That got her startled and more so when she saw who it was.

“Erm… N-no. I just wanted to find myself a quiet place”, she stuttered.

“And this just happened to be the place?” Mitch smirked. 

“I’m sorry. I can just leave now…” she quickly brushed herself off to leave.

“Why did you cover for us back there?” 

“Erm… I just thought you wouldn’t like to be seen … that way”

“Why would you think that? Do you know me?”he added. She sensed the anger building in his voice.

“See, I was only trying to help, ok? If that was wrong, then I’m sorry”, finally exhausted from figuring out what she’s done to this fellow.  He chuckled at her and she tried to look less terrified though she couldn’t hide her trembling limbs. 

“So typical of your kind” he muffled. 

“What do you mean?” 

“You church girls never learn to mind your own business” he added and pranced off, displaying his machismo even by the way he walked.. 

The look of disdain was drawn all over her face. So much for being a Good Samaritan. She headed out the other way and went straight for her bag. Dwayne saw how she rushed angrily for her bag and could tell something was wrong.

“Hey, what’s wrong? I thought you weren’t leaving until later?”

“Plans changed”, she glared at the pompous actor she had just encountered whereas he on the other hand paid her no attention. She stomped off without a second look.

“Let me see you off, at least”, Dwayne called after her.

“No need!” 

“What’s with the two-word answers”, he muttered under his breath.

The lady was flushed with anger. Who did that fellow think he was to look down on her that way, she thought. She wondered how she could let herself be terrified by that guy. Maybe that was a wise choice. A guy who would shamelessly get it on with a lady in broad daylight was definitely terrifying. 

****

Present

“So, you’re that jerk,” feeling like she’s finally found the last piece of the puzzle. It was clear the roles had changed now.

“We were never friends to begin with,” she reminded.

“I suppose so but I recall lending a shoulder for your round trip bus rides? Does that not count?” he turned to take a sip knowing he’d just pressed a button.

Her eyes widened upon hearing that. She always thought Dwayne was the only one who knew that much of her. 

“How did you-“

“Black hoodie, black jeans, always in black?”

Her heart skipped several beats like she had just been found out on a crime scene. She took a moment to relax herself since her nerves were all over the place. 

“So, what now? Do you still want to be that jerk or something better than that? Any of them works for me,” she tried to sound uppish.

“If being a jerk means being who I was then no. Good answer?” 

She wasn’t sure what to make of it but it seemed good enough.

“Cool,” she swiftly looked away from him and gulped down the rest of her punch. It was hard enough to keep a full stare at  him given their history. 

“Since we’re not properly introduced, here, I am Mitchel”, he extended his arm.

“Keisha…” she hesitated to return his handshake.  All of a sudden, her words seemed to have dissipated in the air. Mitchel smiled at her flusteredness and sipped his drink. Grateful to still leave such an impression on a woman.

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